You may have heard the phrase: Character is king.
It’s true. It is.
But why?
Because our character is the primary dimension
that reveals who we truly are.
It reveals our core moral values and principles,
and whether or not we live up to them.
It reveals how worthy we are to be respected.
Think about the people you truly respect.
Think about their character.
Isn’t that why you respect them?
Now think about the people you do not respect.
Think about their lack of character.
Isn’t that why you do not respect them?
Yes, it is character that makes the difference.
Unfortunately, however,
the world does not always reward character.
Sometimes the courageous person of character
gets thrown to the lions.
Your view and mine may differ on who is a present example.
To me, it is Liz Cheney.
If you are a Democrat, you probably disagree with her views on foreign policy.
If you are a Republican, you may see her as disloyal to her Party.
Regardless of your political views,
I hope you are able to recognize her courageous character.
Becoming a builder
If we want to become a respected builder or leader
of any worthy pursuit,
having a strong and principled character is essential.
Having high character will attract others of high character to us.
They will follow our lead because they respect us.
However, none of us has flawless character.
We have let people down in the past,
and we will again.
So will all our leaders.
If you are a cynic who despises most or all our leaders,
you must hold yourself in very high regard!
Otherwise you couldn’t look down on them.
I hope you will ask yourself:
“Am I really a person of higher character
than most of the representatives we have elected?”
Look at their lives,
look at their records,
look at the sacrifices they have made for their country.
Then look at your own life.
If you truly are more admirable than they are,
I hope you will run for office.
If you are not,
I hope you will let go of being a cynic.
Cynics never built anything beautiful and lasting.
Let’s recognize and appreciate the best in our leaders
at the same time as we work to develop the best in ourselves.
We will soon discover what they discovered long ago:
how hard it is to lead well.
To lead or build anything well,
beginning with our own life,
we are going to need character.
So the question becomes:
How Can I Build a Strong Character?